Last



May 12, 1925.

C. M. SEARL LAST Original Filed April 21, 1924 INVEN cf TOR. I (Z a/u. B ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 12, 1925.

.UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

cmn'ron M. snannon roarsivroorn, onro, assronon ro 'rnn vULoAN LAsr cork PANY, or roarsnovrfl, OHIO, A CORPORATION or 015.10; 7

LAST.

Original application filed. April 21, 1924, Serial No. 707,796. Divided and this application filed November 24, 1924. Serial No. 751,759.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLINTON M. SEARL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portsmouth, in the county of Scioto and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lasts, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawmg.

My invention relates to an improvement in lasts, and is particularly directed to lasts of the divided type-that is to say. to that type of last which is divided into two parts, a toe part and a heel'part, movable relatively to each other to collapsed and extended positions. The present application is a division of my application filed April 21, 1924, Serial No. 707.796.

It is desirable in lasts of this type that the last be capable of being easily collapsed so that it may be removed from a shoe without injury to the lining of the shoe and without stretching the shoe out of place.

In lasting a shoe the last is held upside downthat is, with the sole side uppermost-and inasmuch as a great deal of pressure is put on the toe of the last during the lasting operation, this tends to collapse the last, and consequently one of the objects of my invention is the provision of a construction in which the last is capable of withstanding the stresses to which it is subjected during the lasting operation without collapsing, but may bereadily collapsed by the operator when desired.

In one form of last now in extensive use, the fore part and heel part are attached to each other by a link attached to the fore part and heel part by pins so located relatively that a line drawn through their centers will fall above the axis on which the last parts move when the last is collapsed and below this point or axis when the last is extended. 1

In such a construction. the greater the distance the pins are below the axis of the last when the last is extended, or the greater the distance they are above the axis of the last when the last is collapsed, the more resistance the last will offer to collapse or extension, but this distance is limited inasmuch as the pins must be located in the last body itself, and in the case of wooden lasts the pins must be kept at an appreciable distance from the bottom or sole face-owing to the danger of splitting the last when the same is in use or when being moved from extended position to collapsed position or v1ce versa.

In the present construction I have provided an arrangement for attaching the two last parts to each other whereby an effect is obtalned which is as efiicient asthe lowering of the pms in the above-outlined. construction to the danger point, the resistance to collapse or extension ofi'ered bymy last being very materially increasedp without, however, necessitating placing of any pins at a point where they are likely to cause the last to split. y 1

It is one of the especial objectsof my invention to provide a last in which the last parts are held together under tension and not simply held in expanded or collapsed position under tension. I

It is a further object of mv'invention to hold the last parts together by means employing a lever, with the parts constantly under tension. r i

It is a still further obiect of my invention to hold the parts of the last together under tension with the parts so arranged that the tension w1ll assume: its maximum when the parts are either in their fully expanded or fully, collapsed position. t

It is an additional object of my invention 7 to provide the holding together of the parts under tension and to associate therewith a lever, the parts being so arranged that the tension will achieve its maximumat the completely expanded. or collapsed position of the last parts. tension may be created by a variety of means which may be very ible. and that the details of creating this condition are not essential.

It is a further object of my invention to provide such mechanism to hold the parts of the last together under tension that it will not be necessary to have resilient links or resilient anchor pins. eliminated and the same results are obtained. It is a. further object of my invention to provide the holding of such parts together under tension and the increasing of this tension'at extreme positions together with means to lock the parts in extended position by such tension means to resist the pressure,

compressible or expand- 7 It will be realized that the Suchmeans are tendingto collapse the lastimposed on the bottom of the toe member in constructing the shoe thereon until such tension means is overcome by the operator breaking the last. In the accompanying drawing I have shown a sectional View illustrating my in vention.

Referring to the drawing, I here provide a last-con1prising a heel part 1 and a toe part 2, divided'by an arcuate cut 3. The last of this figure is provided with a hearing pin-4 atthe centerofthe are 3. A toggle comprising the two links 5 and'6 ties the twolast parts together, one end of the-link 5-being attachedto the heel nart by a'pin I 7, the other end of this link beingz'm'ounted on the bearing or fulcrum 4. The other link 6, which is'located in the last :toe, has one end attached to the toe-part2 bya'pin 8,the otherrend being mountedzon the bearing pin 4; The pins 7 and 8 are so disposed that a line drawn throughtheir cen- 'tersyfalls below the'bearingpin or fulcrum 4 when the last parts are extended and above :therbearing pinwhen the last iscollapsed.

, To hold the last parts. under tension in either collapsed or extended position, I pro fall below the center of the bearing pin or fulcrum 4 when the last is extended and above this pm when the last is collapsed. Llkewise'the centers of'the pins? and 8 and 7 and 10 will fall below the center of the pin 4'atthe1same time. Power is'applied ,to-the toe end of the lever 9 by a spring 13 held under compressionby apin. 1 l.-passing: trans versely of the last into thelast toe.

In this form'of my inventionit will'be seen that power is applied to-the-toggle intermediate the ends': thereof through: the me- 7 dium of the-spring 13 andthelevers or links 9 and 11.

In operation with :the lastextended, it will be seen tha'tithe-last-partsare held in this-position under tension by the spring 13, this spring pressing downwardlyon the end of the lever 9, thisforce being transmitted tothe toggle link 6 in a direction-tortendto .force-the-toggle link 6 toward the ibearing pin or-fulcrumfil. In-other words, the point vor pin lO-is tending-'toimove. downwardly to V approach the pin 8; likewisethepin 7-is bemg forcedby therspring '13 through the link v9-to approach the pin 8. Consequently .the .twoilast parts are forced towa-rdseaeh other tohold ithem intextended position. Incollapsed positionthe centers of the; pins 7, 8, l0 and 12'lie above the center of the-pin 4, so that the spring 13 will cause the last parts to be drawn toward each other to hold the last collapsed under tension.

In this embodiment of my invention it will be seen, therefore, thatthe lever arm to' which force is applied by the spring 13 and represented byt'he distance between the-lines wand b, is of its greatest length when the last parts are in extended position, and consequently the last partsawill" beheld under greatest tension when the last isie'xt'ended. Thesame thingis true when the lastrparts are collapsed.

It willbe apparent that I have provideda last structure wherein'the-last partsare held 1 in extended position and in. collapsed position under tension, thereby D'IOVldIIIg =.a

structure which will successfully withstand accidental collapse or extension. of :the last parts when thesame are innse inlthennanufacture of'shoes. It will be' seen: also thatiin my invention I provide :a Structure 'lll'.Wl1l'Ch the force 'exerted'on the l'ELSll'F'PflI'iJSlZOiTOld the1last in extendedandincollapsed:position is of some magnitude, mysimproved construction being such, however, :that this :increase in force is providedwithout weakening'the last. In other words, more power is" available for holding the last-parts in adjusted position due to my improved structure than is possible in lasts as 'now'manufactu red,

It willbe seen also that I have 'provideda last-structure wherein the last parts are held in extended positionza'nd in collapsed :position under greatest tension." Inzotherwords, the tension under which the ilast iparts ware held to each otherwhen ithe last is' extended or when the last is collapsed,-. asathecasemay be,:is greater than thertension under :which the last parts are held when in: an interme- 'diate' position.

Having thus fully described myinvention, what "I claim as new-andtlesire to secure :by Letters Patent is:

1. In a last ofthedividedtype com- I prising-atoe part and a-heelp-art, aibearing pin for said last parts,a-link having 0116. end attached tothe heel part and its other'end mounted-on such bearing pin, a second .link

having oneend attached to ithei toe part and c its other end mounted -.-on saidbearing pin, and means for applying poweritosaid'hnks in a direction to shorten the dlstanceibetween the points of attachment ofv said .links-toithe last parts to thereby-holdthelastparts in extended position and in collapsed position.

2. In a last ofthe divided type-andcomprising atoepart and a .heel part,.a:bearing pin for saidlast parts,:a linkhavingoneend attached to the heel part and its .otherend mounted on said bearing pin aisecondlink having 'oneend attached to the toepartzand itsothercend-mounted onsaid bearinggpin a third link having one end pivoted to said second link intermediate the ends thereof, and a fourth link having one end pivoted to the end of the third link and its other end 5 pivoted to the end of the first link at the point of attachment of the first link to the heel part, and a spring for applying power to the point 0 f attachment of the third and fourth links to each other to shorten the dis-" tance between the points of attachment of the first and second links to the last parts whereby the last parts will be held in extended position and in collapsed position un- 

